Learn About Survival Knife Steel Types

As you shop for a survival knife, you'll see a variety of steel types. You've probably wondered what the difference is between the different kinds of steel, and how to know what to look for.

The type of steel in your survival knife makes a big difference, and you need to make sure you understand the pros and cons of different types to ensure that you're prepared for a survival situation.

The basic ingredients of steel

The two key ingredients in steel are iron and carbon. Carbon and other materials can be added to increase the steel's hardness, toughness and strength.

The 3 main factors to consider

Hardness

Hardness is the ability of steel to resist wear. A harder blade will stay sharp for a longer time, and also be more difficult to sharpen.

Toughness

Toughness refers to the steel's resistance to cracking under impact (for example, a blade's toughness will keep it from chipping when you're chopping wood). Generally, as a particular blade's hardness goes up, its toughness goes down, and vice versa.

Strength

Strength refers to the steel's resistance to failure under stress (for example, a blade's strength will keep it from bending or breaking when you're prying loose a rock or door).

The most common steel types

Many survival knives you'll see are made of either carbon steel and stainless steel. There are a few other, less-common types, including alloy steels and tool steels.

Here are the features of carbon steel and stainless steel, along with a few recommended examples of each type:

Carbon Steel

Features of carbon steel (generally speaking):

Easier to sharpen

Can be made extremely sharp

Harder than stainless steel

Holds an edge well

Rusts more easily, so must be kept dry and wiped down with mineral oil

A few carbon steel recommendations:

1095

A2

D2

Carbon V

Stainless Steel

Features of stainless steel (generally speaking):

Rust-resistant

Often more prone to chip than carbon steel (more brittle, less tough)

More difficult to sharpen than carbon steel

A few stainless steel recommendations:

ATS-34

440C

S30V

154 CM

Other Survival Knife Resources:

Information

Welcome to Survival Knife Experts

You've made it to the best place online to learn about survival knives and other survival gear. Whether you're a total beginner or know a thing or two about knives, browse around for info on how to choose a survival knife, what the best survival knife is (depending on your needs and the situation), pros and cons of the different kinds of steel and blade shapes, and lots more.

Survival Knife Experts is financially supported by Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase one of these knives or other products on Amazon, Amazon will pay us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of Survival Knife Experts!